Both common and specialty mushrooms inhibit adhesion molecule expression and in vitro binding of monocytes to human aortic endothelial cells in a pro-inflammatory environment

Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, 6950 East Williams Field Road, Mesa, AZ 85212, USA

Nutrition Journal 2010, 9:29
doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-29

Published: 16 July 2010

Abstract

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in the United States
as well as globally. Epidemiological studies show that regular fruit and vegetable
consumption reduces CVD risk, in part, due to antioxidant activity and immunomodulation
since oxidative stress and inflammation are features of atherogenesis. Accumulating
evidence also shows that dietary fungi, viz., mushrooms, can protect against chronic
disease by altering inflammatory environments such as those associated with CVD although
most research has focused on specialty mushrooms. In this study, we tested the ability
of both common and specialty mushrooms to inhibit cellular processes associated with
CVD.

Conclusion

These data provide evidence that dietary mushrooms can inhibit cellular processes
such as adhesion molecule expression and ultimate binding of monocytes to the endothelium
under pro-inflammatory conditions, which are associated with CVD. As a result, these
findings support the notion that dietary mushrooms can be protective against CVD.